301
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Carr TF, Altisheh R, Zitt M. Small airways disease and severe asthma. World Allergy Organ J 2017; 10:20. [PMID: 28649293 PMCID: PMC5479008 DOI: 10.1186/s40413-017-0153-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The small airways of the lungs are commonly affected in pediatric and adult asthma. Small airways disease has been related to asthma control, severity, and risk of exacerbation. Diagnosis of small airways disease can be best made through evaluation of surgical lung specimens. Noninvasive techniques including spirometry, plethysmography, nitrogen washout, impulse oscillometry, and cross-sectional imaging have been utilized to assess and infer the extent of small airways disease in asthma and can be used longitudinally to assess response to treatment. Patients with small airways disease seem to benefit from inhaled asthma medications that have improved capacity to reach the distal lung compartment. This is especially important for patients with severe asthma, who rely upon high doses of inhaled corticosteroid and bronchodilators for asthma control. This review will describe the techniques which may be utilized to assess small airways disease, discuss the prevalence and characteristics of small airways disease in severe asthma, and highlight how small airway disease may complicate severe asthma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara F Carr
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona USA
| | - Roula Altisheh
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona USA
| | - Myron Zitt
- Division of Allergy/Immunology, Department of Medicine, State University of New York, Stonybrook, NY, USA
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302
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Porsbjerg C, Menzies-Gow A. Co-morbidities in severe asthma: Clinical impact and management. Respirology 2017; 22:651-661. [DOI: 10.1111/resp.13026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2016] [Revised: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Celeste Porsbjerg
- Respiratory Research Unit, Department of Respiratory Medicine; Bispebjerg University Hospital; Copenhagen Denmark,
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303
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Fricker M, Heaney LG, Upham JW. Can biomarkers help us hit targets in difficult-to-treat asthma? Respirology 2017; 22:430-442. [PMID: 28248008 DOI: 10.1111/resp.13014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Revised: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Biomarkers may be a key foundation for the precision medicine of the future. In this article, we review current knowledge regarding biomarkers in difficult-to-treat asthma and their ability to guide the use of both conventional asthma therapies and novel (targeted) therapies. Biomarkers (as measured by tests including prednisolone and cortisol assays and the fractional exhaled nitric oxide (NO) suppression test) show promise in the assessment and management of non-adherence to inhaled and oral corticosteroids. Multiple markers of type 2 inflammation have been developed, including eosinophils in sputum and blood, exhaled NO, serum IgE and periostin. Although these show potential in guiding the selection of novel interventions for refractory type 2 inflammation in asthma, and in determining if the desired response is being achieved, it is becoming clear that different biomarkers reflect distinct components of the complex type 2 inflammatory pathways. Less progress has been made in identifying biomarkers for use in difficult-to-treat asthma that is not associated with type 2 inflammation. The future is likely to see further biomarker discovery, direct measurements of individual cytokines rather than surrogates of their activity and the increasing use of biomarkers in combination. If the promise of biomarkers is to be fulfilled, they will need to provide useful information that aids clinical decision-making, rather than being 'just another test' for clinicians to order.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Fricker
- Centre of Excellence in Severe Asthma, School of Medicine and Public Health, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Liam G Heaney
- Centre for Experimental Medicine, Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queens University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - John W Upham
- Translational Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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304
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Katial RK, Bensch GW, Busse WW, Chipps BE, Denson JL, Gerber AN, Jacobs JS, Kraft M, Martin RJ, Nair P, Wechsler ME. Changing Paradigms in the Treatment of Severe Asthma: The Role of Biologic Therapies. THE JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY-IN PRACTICE 2017; 5:S1-S14. [PMID: 28143691 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaip.2016.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2016] [Revised: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cytokine antagonists are monoclonal antibodies that offer new treatment options for refractory asthma but will also increase complexity because they are effective only for patients with certain asthma subtypes that remain to be more clearly defined. The clinical and inflammatory heterogeneity within refractory asthma makes it difficult to manage the disease and to determine which, if any, biologic therapy is suitable for a specific patient. The purpose of this article is to provide a data-driven discussion to clarify the use of biologic therapies in patients with refractory asthma. We first discuss the epidemiology and pathophysiology of refractory asthma. We then interpret current evidence for biomarkers of eosinophilic or type 2-high asthma so that clinicians can determine potential treatments for patients based on knowledge of their effectiveness in specific asthma phenotypes. We then assess clinical data on the efficacy, safety, and mechanisms of action of approved and pipeline biologic therapies. We conclude by discussing the potential of phenotyping or endotyping refractory asthma and how biologic therapies can play a role in treating patients with refractory asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohit K Katial
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colo.
| | - Greg W Bensch
- Allergy, Immunology and Asthma Medical Group, Stockton, Calif
| | - William W Busse
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wis
| | - Bradley E Chipps
- Capital Allergy and Respiratory Disease Center, Sacramento, Calif
| | - Joshua L Denson
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colo; Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado at Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colo
| | - Anthony N Gerber
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colo; Department of Biomedical Research, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colo
| | - Joshua S Jacobs
- Allergy and Asthma Clinical Research, Inc., Walnut Creek, Calif
| | - Monica Kraft
- Department of Medicine, Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center, University of Arizona Health Sciences, Tucson, Ariz
| | | | - Parameswaran Nair
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael E Wechsler
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colo
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305
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Carr TF, Bleecker E. Asthma heterogeneity and severity. World Allergy Organ J 2016; 9:41. [PMID: 27980705 PMCID: PMC5129643 DOI: 10.1186/s40413-016-0131-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Asthma is a common, chronic inflammatory airways disease characterized by a clinical syndrome of bronchial hyperresponsiveness, inflammation, and reversible airflow obstruction. Individuals with asthma can vary widely in clinical presentation, severity, and pathobiology. The incident factors, pathogenesis, prognosis, and treatment of asthma remain incompletely understood. Utilizing measurable characteristics of asthmatic patients, including demographic, physiologic, and biologic markers, can however identify meaningful phenotypic categories in asthma. Identification of these phenotypes may help improve precision therapeutics targeted toward an individual’s’ disease, and may identify strategies for preventing progression of disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara F Carr
- Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center, University of Arizona, 1501 N Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ 85724-5030 USA
| | - Eugene Bleecker
- Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine Research, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC USA
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